Infrastructure Development Legislation Proposed for Electric Vehicles

The House and Senate unveiled legislation designed to advance the widescale development of the infrastructure needed to support deployment of electric vehicles. The bills each propose a path forward in which geographic areas would compete to be selected as electrification deployment communities—specific geographic areas in which a wide array of financial incentives are employed so that all of the elements of an electrified transportation system are deployed simultaneously.

“The Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act will lead to a surge in job creation, help consumers, recharge our economy and greatly enhance our national and environmental security,” Markey said.

The success of electric vehicles has been tied to the electric industry because the grid will need to be fortified, and charging stations for the cars will need to be constructed. All of that will take qualified electrical contractors (look for a feature article on this topic, which will appear in the September 2010 issue.)

“The Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act builds on the work we did in the House-passed American Clean Energy and Security Act, which includes electric-vehicle provisions, and it contains my bill H.R. 1742, to ensure that our nation develops the infrastructure necessary to ensure electric vehicles are a reality,” McNerney said.